Investing your money often feels like an emotional rollercoaster. It’s up, down, round and round, and, oh my, we’re going down again. Markets plunge, you panic. Stocks soar, you get a little too confident. It's human nature. But these emotional reactions can slow progress as you work to your financial future.

That’s where automated investing comes in and strips away the psychological traps that catch even seasoned investors. By putting your investment plan on autopilot, you're potentially saving yourself from your worst financial enemy: those damn pesky emotions.

Reminder: As with all investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get backless than what you put in.

The emotional traps we all fall into

Think of your first rollercoaster ride and that stomach-dropping feeling. That's what investing can feel like when you're just starting out, especially when you have no clue what all those financial terms mean or how markets actually work. You're trying to make decisions about your money with limited knowledge, which makes those emotional ups and downs even more intense.

When you see your money decrease rather than increase after a market drop, your first instinct might be to pull everything out. It's completely normal. Or when everyone's talking about a hot new stock, you might worry about missing out and rush to buy in.

These two emotions – fear and desire –trip up even the most experienced investors. As a beginner, they can feel even stronger.

You might also find yourself drawn to familiar brands you like and ignore any negative news about them. After all, if you love shopping at a store, surely it must be a good investment too, right? Not necessarily.

These emotional reactions are totally human, but they can cost you money. New investors who follow their feelings tend to earn 2% less each year than the market average. Over years, that adds up to a lot of lost savings.

Learn more with our 101 investment guide

How automation keeps your money on track

Imagine setting up a simple system where a bit of your money goes toward your future every time you shop. No stress, no daily decisions, just steady progress toward your goals.

That's what automated investing offers. Instead of trying to figure out when to buy or sell, you just set up a regular pattern and let it run.

Here's why it works so well for beginners:

You invest consistently, whether markets are high or low. When prices drop, your money automatically buys more, a smart move that's hard to make when you're feeling scared.

You don't need to remember to save. The money moves automatically, so you can't "forget" or decide to spend it on something else this month.

You avoid making rushed choices based on scary headlines or your cousin's latest stock tip. Your plan keeps going regardless of market noise.

Best of all, automation lets you turn small, everyday actions into investing opportunities. Those little bits of change from rounding up purchases? They can go straight into investments without you having to think twice.

For someone who's never invested before, automation is a bit like having a protective shield against the emotional ups and downs that make investing seem intimidating.

That’s not to say things can’t go wrong, and there’s always risk involved when investing. But you also get to decide that risk, even when there’s automation involved.

Small automated investments, surprising results

Most people don't realise how powerful small, consistent investments can be. Let's look at some real numbers to show what automation can do.

The math be mathing

If you automatically invested just £5 a week (about the cost of a fancy coffee), after 10 years you could have around £3,400 with a modest 7%average return. Bump that up to £10 a week, and you're looking at nearly£7,000.

The magic lies  in the consistency and the time you give your money to grow.

How your shopping habits contribute

Think about your daily spending habits. That loose change from rounding up your lunch from £7.50 to £8? Those 50p bits might seem meaning lesson their own, but automatically capturing and investing them adds up faster than you'd think.

Someone who automatically invests these small amounts often ends up saving more than someone who tries to make occasional large deposits whenever they "have extra money" (which somehow never seems to happen as often as we plan).

The best part is once you set it up, you barely notice the money leaving your account, but you'll definitely notice when you check your investment balance a few years later

Automation with Kaldi

Kaldi is hereto make investing automatic by connecting it directly to your everyday shopping. Unlike traditional investment platforms that require you to actively transfer money, Kaldi works in the background while you live your life. We offer a bridge between your daily spending and your future savings, turning routine purchases into investment opportunities.

Shop and save simultaneously

Each time you use Kaldi to shop at our partnered brands – whether it's your weekly Morrisons groceries, that ASOS order or your morning Starbucks – you earn instant cashback. It's not pocket change either, with cashback ranging from 1% to 5% across more than 100 UK retailers. Instead of manually moving this money to investments, Kaldi can do it automatically, letting your shopping habits grow your wealth over time.

Round-ups that add up

Those odd pennies from purchases might seem in significant, but they're financial fuel when captured automatically. Kaldi's round-up feature takes your £4.22p coffee and rounds it to £5, putting the additional 78p straight into your savings or investments. It's the digital equivalent of a change jar, but one that works much harder for your future.

Professional investment management

Remember when we were talking about stocks and bonds and whatnot? Kaldi partners with some of the world's leading investment firms to manage your money. Your automated investments can go into funds carefully selected and managed by established names in the financial world. For example, Kaldi offers access to Vanguard's Life Strategy funds, which have shown strong historical performance over the years.

It all means that your small, automated investments aren't just sitting idle. They’re professionally managed in diversified funds without you needing to become an investment expert. The platform keeps fees transparent and reasonable (typically under 0.5% for fund fees), so more of your money works for you rather than disappearing in charges.

Find out more about investing

Automation vs. trying to time the market

Many beginners think successful investing means buying at the perfect moment and selling at the peak. The reality is that even professional investors rarely get this right consistently.

Let's look at what typically happens when people try to time the market:

●       They wait for the "perfect" moment to invest, keeping money in cash for too long

●      They panic-sell during downturns, locking in losses

●      They pile in during market highs when excitement peaks

●       They spend hours researching only to second-guess their decisions

Compare this with an automated approach that simply invests a regular amount regardless of market conditions:

●       Your investments happen automatically on schedule

●      You buy more shares when prices are low and fewer when they're high

●      You don't need to constantly monitor financial news

●       Your emotions don't get a vote in your financial decisions

Research consistently shows that patient, regular investors typically outperform those who try to time the market. One famous study found that if you missed just the 10 best trading days over a 20-year period, your returns would be cut nearly in half compared to someone who stayed invested the whole time.

With Kaldi's automated approach, you never have to worry about missing those important days, as you're always in the market, steadily building wealth while you focus on living your life.

Start your automated journey

If you’re ready to let your money work smarter, not harder, automated investing through Kaldi gives you the tools to build wealth while shopping as usual. No emotional decisions, no complicated research. Just consistent growth potential from your everyday spending.

Get started with Kaldi and see how automation can help you build your savings.

Reminder: As with all investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than what you put in.